How to Get into Oxford University from India?

Oxford University has a history of remaining popular among Indian students. Students from India seeking to continue their higher education abroad start their journey by thinking about how to get into Oxford University or any other top university in the world.

Getting into one of the top universities in the world is a dream of many students which is why Indian students going to study abroad seek to get admitted to the prestigious Oxford University, UK. As much as 920+ years old, the University of Oxford has made its path through several revolutions and modernisation to get the title of one of the best universities in the world and gained the reputation that it has today. 

Even after getting such a good reputation, Oxford University embraces diversity among its students which is responsible for one-third of its total student population being from international backgrounds. If you too are wondering - “How to get into Oxford University” or “Can I even get into Oxford University as an Indian student” then, this article is for you. 

Also Read: 

• B.Tech Courses at University of Oxford
• Law Courses at University of Oxford
• MS Courses at University of Oxford

This article gives you a realistic picture of what you need to do to get into Oxford University and what the requirements are for getting into specific courses at this esteemed university. Here are some distinguished Oxford University’s highlights. 

Oxford University Highlights:

Foundation Year	1096
Acceptance Rate	16% for UG courses 30% for PG courses
Location	Oxford, UK.
Position in QS World University Ranking 2025	3
Average Annual Fee	UG Courses: INR 29.49 L - 47.81 L PG Courses: INR 29 L - 90.54 L
Number of Courses	250+ UG and PG courses
Number of Available Scholarships	1000+ (100+ for international students, including fully-funded scholarships).
Required Exams	Language Tests: IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE Aptitude Tests: GMAT, GRE
Top Courses	Biology, Clinical and Health, Business Economics, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Politics,  Finance, Social Science, Life Science, Law and Mathematics.
Application Medium	Online  (Through the UCAS portal or through the university’s website). For specific courses: UG: ucas.com PG: Online to the university MBA: apply.sbs.ox.ac.uk/apply
One-time Application Fee for 2025 Entry	UG: £28.50  PG: £75  MBA: £150
Application deadline for 2025 Entry	15 October 2024, through the UCAS portal

Why Study at Oxford University?

Studying at Oxford University gives you the taste of a perfect blend of traditional teaching practices amalgamated with best-in-class research and modern university practices. 

There are several reasons for choosing Oxford University as your higher studies destination, below are a few points listed about the same. 

1. Ranks at the top: Oxford University has been ranked as the world’s best for the eighth consecutive year in 2024 by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. 
2. Diverse Student body: The university is home to over 25,000+ students of which around one-third are international students. 
3. Innovative and best-in-the-world research facilities: Oxford University is known for its high level of research, cutting-edge laboratories and some outstanding researchers like Sir Robert Robinson, Erwin Schrödinger, Sir John Elliott and Sir Andrew Wiles. 
4. Support for Graduate Students: The University of Oxford takes extreme pride in boasting about their graduate students for they are the future of the university’s excellent research programs. For the same reason, the university provides a supportive and stimulating environment to its graduate students to help them realise their full potential.
5. Libraries with huge collections of books, manuscripts and more: The university has over 100 libraries housed in historic buildings which attract scholars from around the world. 
6. Financial Support: The university provides several non-repayable bursaries and scholarships to cover the expenses of deserving highly skilled students. 
7. Excellent career opportunities: The graduates from Oxford University, commonly called the “Oxonians”, are highly sought after by employers from various sectors around the world.
8. Student Clubs and Societies: Studies can be fun at the University of Oxford by choosing from over 400 clubs and societies curated to help you develop interest, old or new. 

This was all about the reasons to choose the University of Oxford. Now, let’s continue to learn how to get into Oxford University from India. 

Eligibility Requirements for International Students to Study at Oxford University

The University of Oxford receives around 20,000 international applications for 3250+ seats. This makes the university to be highly selective of the students it takes for its esteemed courses. And the university suggests that merely meeting the eligibility requirements may not confirm your admission to Oxford. Below are some basic requirements for international students to study at Oxford University. 

Requirements for UG Courses 

Below are the general eligibility requirements for Indian students willing to study at the University of Oxford. 

• Students whose qualifications do not match the eligibility requirements of the chosen course at Oxford University will have to undertake further studies. For the list of accepted courses to undertake, visit the requirements page of your chosen course. 

Note: The university suggests that taking one of the acceptable courses to meet the course requirements is better than undertaking the first year of the course you desire at another university and then aiming to transfer to Oxford University. This is because the University of Oxford does not accept transfer students (except medical students). Also, you must mention clearly in your UCAS application form in case you are currently studying at another university as, if found out later after receiving the offer, the university might withdraw its offer. 

• Students must have passed their class 12th examinations with either the CBSE (All-India SSC) or CISCE (ISC) board. The university does not accept the State board examinations or NIOS Year XII qualification.
• If passing from CBSE or CISCE, students must aim to get specific grades to get into Oxford University. Courses at Oxford University University typically require either A*A*A, A*AA or AAA and it can be difficult to understand what grades you have at the time of applying. CBSE students who receive their final class 12th scores as grades and CISCE students who receive percentages may check how to predict which grades they have achieved. Here’s the equivalence of your class 12th grades with the different AAA grades required at the University of Oxford:

Calculating Your Grades for Getting into Oxford University
Grades	CBSE Equivalence	CISCE Equivalence
A*A*A	CBSE students must receive A1 A1 A1 A1 A2 grades in 5 subjects with A1 in any subject relevant to the subject applied for at Oxford University.	The overall percentage in class 12th exams must be 90% with 95% or above in 4 subjects (Including any subject relevant to the course applied for) and 85% or above in the 5th subject.
A*AA	A1 A1 A1 A2 A2 grades in 5 subjects with A1 in relevant subjects	Overall 90% or above scores with 95% or above in three subjects (including any of the relevant subjects) and 85% or above in the other 2 subjects.
AAA	A1 A1 A2 A2 A2 grades in 5 subjects with A1 in relevant subjects	Overall 90% or above scores with 95% or above in two subjects (including any of the relevant subjects) and 85% or above in the other 3 subjects.

Note:- The University of Oxford selects applications on a case-by-case basis. So, if you do not meet any of the above qualifications, you may be considered for the other exceptional qualifications mentioned in your application. 

Requirements for PG Courses 

Below are the general entry requirements for Indian students aiming to get a master’s from Oxford. Please note that these are not the complete requirements and the subject-specific requirements must be checked from the course page. Below is the table mentioning all the requirements for your master’s degree at Oxford University on a course-by-course basis.

Qualifications Required for a Master’s Degree at the Oxford University for Indian Students
Course Requirements	Description of Course Requirements
For master’s courses requiring a ‘strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours' in the UK system	One of the following qualifications will be accepted: A professional bachelor’s degree (4 years) from an Institute of National Importance with a minimum of 60% overall marks or 70% overall marks from other universities or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0, 5.0 out of 7.0, 6.0 out of 8.0 or 8.0 out of 10.0; or A standard bachelor’s degree (3 years) with a minimum of 65% marks if awarded by a prestigious institute (Institute of National Importance) or 70% or above for other universities.  Master’s degree holding students from unrecognised institutions are also eligible.
For a graduate degree requiring ‘first class undergraduate degree with honours' in the UK system	You will need either of the following:  A professional bachelor’s degree (4 years) from an Institute of National Importance with a minimum of 65% overall marks or 75% overall marks from other universities or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0, 5.5 out of 7.0, 6.5 out of 8.0 or 8.5 out of 10.0; or A standard bachelor’s degree (3 years) with a minimum of 70% marks if awarded by a prestigious institute (Institute of National Importance) or 75% or above for other universities.  Master’s degree holding students from unrecognised institutions are also eligible.
For courses requiring a master’s degree in the UK system	A master’s degree from a recognised institution corresponding to the following will be required: 55% for a pass grade in the UK system 60% for a merit grade in the UK system 70% for a distinction grade in the UK system

How to Apply to Oxford University from India?

The application form and required documents are the same for the international students as for the UK applicants. Here is a quick guide to filling out the application form for the same. 

• Check the deadline for your particular course and apply before it ends. Usually, the application deadlines for Oxford University fall on a Friday.
• Fill out all the details in the application form including your personal details, your educational details or any other qualifications and your address. 
• Give 2-3 references as required for your course. 
• Check funding and language requirements and take any test, if needed. 
• Attach supporting documents for your application. Note that the supporting documents must be in either of the following formats - PDF, .jpg or .png format and below the size of 4 MB. 
• Lastly, make the payment for your application (£75 for PG courses and £28.5 for UG courses). 

Note: Students must note that they must not attach any form of transcripts or exam scores with their application. The demand for the transcripts will be generated later by the University of Oxford after shortlisting your application. However, students must self-mention all details of their qualifications and test scores under the “Education” section of the UCAS Application Form.

Oxford University Application Deadlines for 2025

The 2025 application timelines and the things to do during these timelines to get into Oxford University are given below.

Oxford University Application Timelines for 2025 UG Entry
Events	Dates	Things to Do
UCAS Application Window Opens	June 2024	Choose a course and university Prepare personal statement and organise academic reference  Check the tests needed
Register for English Exams	15 August 2024 to 4 October 2024	Choose the test you wish to/are required to take.  Prepare and register for the tests in the given application window.
UCAS Application Window Closes	15 October 2024	Submit your duly completed application form by 6 PM on 15 October 2024.
Take the Tests	21 October 2024 to 31 October 2024	Except for law and medical courses, follow this timeline.
Submission of the Written Work	10 November 2024	If needed for your course, submit to your college by the given deadline
Student Interviews	December 2024	If shortlisted, you will be contacted for an interview in December
Release of Offers	January 2025	Final offers will be released by Oxford University in January 2025.

This was all about how to get into Oxford University from India for a bachelor’s and master’s degree. If you wish to study abroad, then you can get assistance from Shiksha Counselling Services for free. You can also drop your queries in the comments section below.